I believe No.8 in the second coming

We've been having a good time this week. The Lord has tested us at times. We've had to go back to him in prayer asking him to overrule us when we're planning wrong.

And I've asked a couple of the girls to come and just say a few words about what has been going on this week. I think Jeanette is coming up first. Hello, I'm Jan and I'm from Lancaster University.

And first of all, on behalf of all the team, I'd just like to thank everybody for the love that's been shown to us as team members from not only all over this country, but from all over the world. And we really have felt part of your family here in this church. And it's been so much easier to work on the Witness team, knowing that we've had such great support.

Not only putting us up and giving us some great food, but also for the prayer support that we've had. That really has meant everything to us at times. And as the pastor was saying this morning, please don't think of your prayer support as a secondary role in the Witness team.

You are members of our Witness team in your prayers and we do thank you for them. I'd just like to pass on a few things that have happened to us throughout this week. The way that God really has blessed us.

He's given us some great opportunities to establish friendships with students from France, Spain and Germany. And there have been difficulties with languages because not all of us can speak all these languages. And really this has meant that we can't rely on our own words to get across to the students.

We really have to rely on God to use the words that we speak and to help the students to understand. We've been able to show film strips. We've had an evangelistic bible study.

We've used drama and we've also been able to sing choruses in other languages. We hope to work alongside your own track two next week in carrying on with this work. Carrying on with the friendships we've made with overseas students.

But without your prayer support we can't do anything. So please pray for us. My name is Dorothy.

I'm from Germany. And what James said about your prayer. That was very important for us.

And a prayer point which I want to express is the bible study that we had on Friday. We are very thankful that we had the opportunity to hold this bible study. And there were two German girls and two German boys who were interested.

And to whom I had talked during the week. And one of these girls is a Catholic. And although she believes in Jesus as the son of God, she has not received Jesus as her personal savior yet.

Please pray for her that she will receive Jesus. And pray that God gives another opportunity to talk to her. Also these two German boys really need your prayer.

I talked to them twice before the bible study. But they did not want at all to talk about spiritual things. And we prayed for them.

And that the Lord may open their hearts. And on Friday they were interested to stay for the bible study. And we looked at Luke 5 where Jesus called the first disciples.

And where Peter leaves everything behind and follows Jesus. And with this study we want to focus on the person of Jesus. So that people might start to think who Jesus really was.

And what he has to say. And the conversation about this passage was quite hard. Because the boys really did not say a word.

And they are going to leave tomorrow. So that we won't have the opportunity to talk to them again. But we are very thankful that they have heard God's word.

And we can be sure that this is a seed that God will bless. Please pray for them that they will meet Christians in Germany. Who can lead them further.

And please pray for the bible studies that we plan for next week. That people will come and are interested to stay. And see what person Jesus was.

Thank you. Hallelujah. Where is your friend? Hallelujah.

Hallelujah. That is why we sing. Where is your friend? Chapter 13.

Chapter in which disciples of Jesus ask about what is to come in the future. As Jesus was leaving the temple. One of his disciples said to him.

Look teacher. What massive stones. What magnificent buildings.

Do you see all these great buildings? Replied Jesus. Not one stone here will be left on another. Everyone will be thrown down.

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives. Opposite the temple. Peter, James, John and Andrew.

Asked him privately. Tell us. When will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to be fulfilled? Jesus said to them.

Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name. Claiming I am he.

And will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars. Do not be alarmed.

Such things must happen. But the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation.

And kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. And famines.

These are the beginning of birth pains. You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils.

And flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings. As witnesses to them.

And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial. Do not worry beforehand about what to say.

Just say whatever is given you at the time. For it is not you speaking. But the Holy Spirit.

Brother will betray brother to death. And a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents.

And have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me. But he who stands firm to the end.

Will be saved. When you see the abomination that causes desolation. Standing where it does not belong.

Let the reader understand. Then let those who are in Judea. Flee to the mountains.

Let no one on the roof of his house. Go down or enter the house to take anything out. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak.

How dreadful it will be in those days. For pregnant women and nursing mothers. Pray that this will not take place in winter.

Because those will be days of distress. Unequaled from the beginning. When God created the world until now.

And never to be equaled again. If the Lord had not cut short those days. No one would survive.

But for the sake of the elect. Whom he has chosen. He has shortened them.

At that time if anyone says to you. Look here is the Christ. Or look there he is.

Do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear. And perform signs and miracles.

To deceive the elect. If that were possible. So be on your guard.

I have told you everything ahead of time. But in those days. Following that distress.

The sun will be darkened. And the moon will not give its light. The stars will fall from the sky.

And the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time men will see the son of man coming in clouds. With great power and glory.

And he will send his angels and gather his elect. From the four winds. From the ends of the earth.

To the ends of the heavens. Now learn this lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its twigs get tender.

And its leaves come out. You know that summer is near. Even so.

When you see these things happening. You know that it is near. Right at the door.

I tell you the truth. This generation will certainly not pass away. Until all these things have happened.

Heaven and earth will pass away. But my words will never pass away. No one knows about that day or hour.

Not even the angels in heaven. Nor the sun. But only the father.

Be on guard. Be alert. You do not know when that time will come.

It's like a man going away. He leaves his house in charge of his servants. Each with his assigned task.

And tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch. Because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back.

Whether in the evening. Or at midnight. Or when the rooster crows.

Or at dawn. If he comes suddenly. Do not let him find you sleeping.

What I say to you. I say to everyone. Watch.

Now may God add his blessing to that reading. Of his word. I believe in God.

The father almighty creator of heaven and earth. And then. We read about our Lord Jesus.

And what we believe concerning him in the creed. And we've worked our way. Through the various statements of this summary of Christian doctrine.

And we come to this great declaration. Which speaking of the advent of Christ. Says.

He will come again. To judge the living. And the dead.

He will come again to judge the living. And the dead. It has been said.

That the doctrine of the second return of Jesus. Has become the Cinderella. Of the creed.

At one stage it was reckoned. That the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Was neglected.

But now. Due to the awakening of interest in the spirit. Some argue that the concept of the return of the Lord Jesus.

Has been pushed aside. And if that is true. Then it is lamentable indeed.

It is a very sad state of affairs. Why do I say that? Well because it is very central in the New Testament. The concept of Jesus returning.

Is referred to. Says Dr. J. Ipaca 300 times. That means one out of every 13 verses.

In the New Testament. Makes reference to the belief. That Jesus Christ will return.

To planet earth again. He will come to judge. The living and the dead.

Now to read 300 verses this evening. Would take a considerable period of time. But to add to the illustration.

Andrew brought to us in the reading from Mark's gospel. Here are just one or two selected statements. Concerning the advent of our Lord Jesus.

For instance. In the 24th chapter of Matthew's gospel. And the 27th verse.

Reference is made. To the way in which Jesus will come. As a flash of lightning.

When we were coming back. Late Friday night. Early Saturday morning.

From Exmouth. Blanket lightning. Illuminated the landscape.

Time after time. Well something like that. Only the flash variety.

Is singled out by the gospel writer. To describe the coming again of Jesus. For as the lightning.

Comes from the east. And flashes to the west. So will be the coming of the son of man.

And then another statement. Bringing in more information. In a different facet.

Is found in the gospel of John. And the fifth chapter. And the 24th verse.

I tell you the truth. Whoever hears my word. And believes him who sent me.

Has eternal life. And will not be condemned. He has crossed over from death to life.

I tell you the truth. The time is coming. And has now come.

When the dead will hear the voice of the son of God. And those who hear will live. For as the father has life in himself.

So he has granted the son. To have life in himself. And he goes on to speak.

About the resurrection of the dead. And the judgment which will be conducted. The acts of the apostles in the opening chapter.

Gives us a similar illustration. In the 11th verse. The angels speaking to the disciples for distress.

Because Jesus has left them. Men of Galilee. Of Galilee they said.

Why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus. Who has been taken from you into heaven. Will come back in the same way you have seen him go.

Into heaven. And then moving to 1 Corinthians. And chapter 15.

You get a tremendous statement. Which has been made immortal. In the words of Handel's Messiah.

The 51st verse. Listen. I tell you a mystery.

We shall not all sleep. But we will all be changed. In a flash.

In the twinkling of an eye. At the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound.

The dead will be raised imperishable. And we will be changed. And then Paul later on in that same epistle.

The 16th chapter. Adding a personal note. Right at the end of the letter.

Has this comment. In the 22nd verse. If anyone does not love the Lord.

A curse be on him. Anathema. And then he goes into his Aramaic language.

Maranatha. Come O Lord. And that Maranatha.

Became a password amongst early Christians. When they greeted one another. They wouldn't just say how are you? How are you doing? They would say Maranatha.

The Lord is coming. They believed most definitely. In the literal return of our Saviour.

Just two more examples. To set the perspective for us. 1 Thessalonians and chapter 4. And again a very well known passage of scripture.

The 16th verse. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven. With a loud command.

With the voice of the archangel. And with the trumpet call of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

After that we who are still alive. And our left will be caught up with them in the clouds. To meet the Lord in the air.

And so we will be with the Lord forever. And then finally in the book of Revelation. And the first chapter.

The 7th verse. Look he is coming with the clouds. And every eye will see him.

Even those who pierced him. And all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be.

Amen. Well I give you just a few illustrations. A few verses of scripture.

To which one could have heaped up many many more. Which underline the fact that Jesus Christ is coming again. Well we ask ourselves this question.

If the declaration is made at least 300 times in the New Testament. Why has the doctrine to some degree fell into abeyance? Why is it not preached on as much as it should be? And I think the answer is. Because of the way that the doctrine has been treated historically.

And also because of the modern tendency of man in the 20th century. To reduce the supernatural to the level of the natural. Well what do I mean by my first explanation? Well simply this.

People have had a field day. Setting up the perspective of how Jesus is going to come. They've had a world map.

They've had charts in front of congregations. And they've spelt it all down to the last detail. As though God's great eternal plan.

Could have been encapsulated within a mind of a mortal. And it could be projected. So that everyone could be aware of what God has in store.

And as a result some of the most ridiculous and extravagant statements. Have been made from evangelical pulpits. And there has been a reaction I believe against this.

But then there is the concept of modern man in the 20th century. The idea that Jesus Christ would physically return. The idea of the miracles.

Well this might have been good for the Victorian era. And preceding centuries. But we have come of age now.

And so we get our Bibles. And we rip out all the miraculous. To use the word that theologians use.

We demythologize it. Which means we pluck out the fables. The fairy tales.

And amongst those allegedly. Are the ideas of this physical visible return of Jesus Christ. Well those are the reasons basically.

Why the doctrine has tended to be ignored to some degree. So let me content myself this evening. By putting certain things to you.

Just three matters that I'll bring to your attention. Spell out three dangers if you please. About this subject.

First of all the danger of concluding too little. Regarding this great truth of scripture. And then the danger of presuming too much.

And then finally the danger of asserting nothing. First of all and we can dispatch this relatively quickly. The danger of concluding too little.

There are some who would tell us. And there is a modicum of truth. In all that I have now to share with you.

That we are to think of our Lord Jesus. In terms of his coming. As fulfilled on the day of Pentecost.

Now what happened on the day of Pentecost? The mighty Holy Spirit came. And in some respects the church was born. And when the Lord Jesus predicted the events at Pentecost.

He did so in the most interesting language. In John's Gospel in the 14th chapter. The 16th verse he predicts the coming of the Holy Ghost.

I will ask the Father. And he will give you another counselor or comforter. To be with you forever.

And then in the 18th verse he goes on and says. I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you.

As though in the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus came again. And in a very wonderful sense that was true.

It is the Spirit that Jesus sends from heaven. His own Spirit which enlivened and empowered the disciples. And then there are those who say.

Well Jesus comes again when we are converted. You submit to the truths of the Christian Gospel. And Jesus comes and takes up residence within your personality.

And again which evangelical would demur from that argument. Who would say that it is wrong. Do we not say come into my heart Lord Jesus.

Come in today. Take sin away. Come into my heart Lord Jesus.

And our Savior in the book of Revelation. Is depicted as standing at the door of the heart and knocking. Behold I knock at the door.

If any man will open. I will come in and sup with him. So in that sense he has come again.

And then there are others who will tell us. Well the Lord Jesus comes when we die. What happens at the moment of death? Well I believe scripture teaches us.

That our Lord Jesus Christ receives us into his eternal kingdom. I believe in consciously on death. Moving into the immediate presence of God.

And I guess that one could realistically argue. That that is the coming of the Lord Jesus. Coming for us.

Taking us into the presence of almighty God. And to be with him. And in that great presence.

Is to be in a far better state than we can ever enjoy here on planet earth. So you see what I mean. When I say that I have no argument against those concepts.

These are comings of the Lord Jesus. But I would say they don't go far enough. The Bible allows us to expect these comings.

But that does not mean. Even all of them taken together. That they are the same as the second coming of Christ.

For as that little catena. That little selection of scriptures. Along with the 13th gospel.

The 13th chapter of Mark's gospel. Indicates when Jesus comes. There will be something demonstrative.

There will be something visible. There will be something physical. And I'll make more reference to that later on.

So the first danger. And I close down my point. Having explained it.

Was that of the danger of concluding too little. Of saying insufficient. Insufficiently about this doctrine.

But then there is the other end of the extreme. The danger of presuming too much. The Lord Jesus reminds us.

In the gospel reading that we've already had. And in the parallel reading. In Matthew's gospel.

That no man knows the day nor the hour. When this shall happen. Not even the angels in heaven nor the sun.

But only the Father. And yet there have been those who have come very, very close. In reading into scripture too much.

In an endeavor to pinpoint. If not the day. Then perhaps the month.

Or the year. Or the decade. When our Lord Jesus Christ.

Shall physically, visibly return. Have you heard of Ernest Digweed? No, I see you haven't. Well, I did mention the name of Mr. Digweed.

Here in the tabernacle. Some while ago. He left an estate valued at 26,107 pounds.

He died in 1976. And his will was read. Was declared as valid on the 21st of July 1977.

And it was reported in the Times newspaper, no less. That that estate is in trust. To be paid to Jesus Christ at his second coming.

It has to be invested. And compound interest will accrue. And if the Lord Jesus appears within 80 years.

And convinces the crown commissioners. That he is the son of God. Then that money plus interest will be made over to him.

Well, it's a very pleasant idea. And one would not speak over critically. Of the simplicity of Mr. Digweed.

And yet on the other hand. There is a classic illustration of reading far, far too much. And far too materialistically.

Concerning the second coming of Jesus. As though when the landlord returns to his estate. He's going to need the 21,000 pounds plus interest.

The gold in every mine. The cattle on every hill. Are his.

The earth is the Lord's. And the fullness thereof. There is a tendency of presuming too much.

And bringing the doctrine into disrepute. By the presumption. No less a man.

And I speak not critically here. Than Martin Luther. Had the temptation thrust his way.

And he fell into it. In reading the political situation. In the 16th century.

Back into the Bible. And concluding that all was toward the end. The finale was just around the corner.

And it is certain that Jesus Christ. Will return. In a matter of years if not months.

Listen to him. It is certain from the Holy Scriptures. That we have no more temporal things to expect.

All is done and fulfilled. The Roman Empire is at an end. The Turk has reached his highest point.

The pump of the papacy is falling away. And the world is cracking on all sides. Almost as if it would break.

And fall apart. Entirely. There is a temptation you see.

Of combing the book of Daniel. And some of these other related passages of Scripture. That set up some sort of scenario.

So it is thought. To the coming of the Lord. And identifying the historical period.

In which you live. In terms of that. Reading into Scripture.

Instead of reading out. That which is certain and absolute. There was a man for instance.

Just to continue this. By the name of Leonard Sayle Harrison. He had great influence here in America.

And he had great influence here in the United Kingdom. And in the United States of America. In the early 40's.

He had studied the life and times of Mussolini. And he had deduced from this. That the end of the age would be at the beginning of the 40's.

The clay of the great statue in Daniel's dream. You remember. Represented according to Mr. Sayle Harrison.

The socialists. While the iron represented the fascists. And the latter would call for a strong leader.

Mussolini. Or the antichrist. To bring law and order.

Into that part of Europe. And ere long Christ would return. Mussolini is dead.

And many of those who were predicted to be. With a degree of certainty. That now causes us to blush in the evangelical pulpit.

As being the antichrists are dead. And therefore I suggest to you. That sometimes reading into Scripture.

With a dogmatism that should be reserved. For the declaration of the gospel. Reading into Scripture.

A political situation. And passing comment. In a dogmatic way.

Is very, very questionable. Take another man whose name some of you will know. And here I risk offense.

A man by the name of Hal Lindsey. And the book that now has run into. I believe 13 million copies in its circulation.

Great Planet Earth. He has predicted the coming of the Lord. Before the year 2000.

He does so on the basis that the reference. In our reading to the blossoming of the fig tree. Must be the Jewish nation.

And as they have returned to their home country. Which Lindsey says is the fulfillment in 1948. Of this particular prediction of our Lord.

Then the generation alive in that day. Will be the generation who will see the return of Jesus. Now I am in no way saying.

That the return of our Lord Jesus. Will be after the year 2000. I'm looking for the return of our Savior tomorrow.

But I would base. My whole approach to the doctrine of the advent. On a far more sure foundation.

Than that of a possible interpretation. Of a most difficult Scripture. So I say that one of the reasons.

Why this doctrine has fallen into abeyance. Is the danger of concluding too little from it. And the danger of presuming too much.

But then thirdly. What about the danger of asserting nothing. The danger of asserting nothing.

You see the Lord Jesus most definitely asserts that. He will return. And though I blush to read William Berkeley.

In his chapter on the return of Jesus. In his book on the creed. I have to come to the conclusion.

That Berkeley is wrong. In suggesting that the return of Jesus. Is to be fulfilled in some of the examples.

That I gave you in the first part of my address. And there is nothing beyond that. The Scriptures make it very very clear.

That our Lord Jesus will return to planet earth. This same Jesus will come. In like manner as you have seen him go.

It's literal. And not fanciful. It is visible.

And not pure mental speculation. Every eye shall see him. Every eye.

Shall recognize when Jesus comes. Who he is. In Bethlehem he was God incognito.

God veiled. But when he returns in power and glory. He will be God with the anonymity.

Dissolved forever. And all shall recognize who he is. And confess that Jesus is Lord.

What is more. It is terminal. When Jesus returns.

There will be no further proclamation of the gospel. John made it quite clear. In the reading that first I got wrong.

From John's gospel chapter 5. Revelation 1. And was it verse 7. Verse 7 makes it even more clear. There will be some who when Jesus returns. Far from singing the hallelujah chorus.

Will wail. And that word in the original. Is a word that we would describe in English grammar.

Though it's Greek grammar obviously. In the original. As onomatopoeia.

In other words. It has the meaning of the word in the sound. Wail.

Like you would get if you were describing. The falling of rain on a corrugated roof. Pitter patter.

Pitter patter. You can hear the noise. So in that word in the original.

You can actually hear the wail of people. Why afraid. Well Jesus has returned.

And he has returned finally. He has returned terminally. He has returned visibly.

And what's more. He returns in a judgmental fashion. The dead shall be raised.

And every man and every woman will give an account. Of the way that they have lived their lives. And the effect that the gospel had or did not have upon them.

Faith. Says Emil Brunner. In Jesus without the expectation of the second advent.

Is like a check that is never cashed. It's like a promise that's not made in earnest. A faith in Christ without the expectation of the advent.

Is like a flight of stairs that leads nowhere. And ends in the void. Jesus Christ is coming back again.

The scriptures got it right regarding the first occurrence. When he came in Bethlehem. The scriptures are accurate.

In their depiction. Of his return. In glory.

You say when. On biblical grounds. I would find it very hard to spell out any political situation.

And it seems to me that the signs in Mark's gospel chapter 13. Are not so much the end of the motorway. As rather the hazard warning lights.

Along the route. All that one can say is this. That looking at the world situation as it is.

On other than scriptural grounds. We seem to be walking a tightrope. Between war and peace.

Between order and the holocaust. Caused by the releasing of hydrogen. And even more obscene weapons.

Alistair Cook. Famous as the man who writes the letter from America. Which is published.

Which is broadcasted over the BBC each week. Says it will be a miracle if we get to the year 2000. And he's not speaking as a biblical commentator.

Time magazine is going to bring out in October. An issue spanning the last six decades. In one sense celebrating the anniversary of its original publication.

And it calls those six decades. The most remarkable and the most important. And the most turbulent decades in history.

And in their early publication at the beginning of this year. They brought out a horrific magazine. Entitled Thinking the Unthinkable.

Time magazine. Predicting the possibility of the end of the world. So these are the days in which we are living.

And these are days when men and women would do well. To come back to the Bible. And to the grand old absolutely clear statement.

That this Christ born in Bethlehem's manger. Crucified on Calvary's cross. Is the risen son of God.

At the moment in the heavenlies. Making intercession for those who trust him as Lord and Savior. Before the great God and Father.

And this Christ is coming back again. And history is his story. And he will bring it to its crescendo.

To its final consummation. And what as Christians are we to do about all this? Well as one godly bishop said. Budget and plan for an ordinary span of years.

But in spirit be packed and ready to leave. At any time. Budget and plan for an ordinary span of years.

But in spirit be packed and ready to leave at any time. I heard George Vervin in a different context. Say that every young evangelical Christian.

Should be prepared to pack his bags within five minutes. At a distance of ten feet. And be ready to move out to serve the living God.

Wherever he might call. Around the world. Jesus is coming.

It's not a time for an evangelical cop out. The world is going to hell. Let it get on with it.

Let's have our little holy clubs. Our worship meetings. Don't bother about the famine out there in Ethiopia.

Don't bother about the social relief that needs to be brought. Or the problems in Southern Africa. Or in Northern Ireland.

The Bible never tells us to do that. We are to work. And to work.

And to work. As though the coming was distant. But we are to work.

And to work. And work. As though the coming was present.

As though it might be tomorrow. Always looking up. Recognizing that our redemption.

Draws nigh. And that the purposes of God. Will be consummated.

In the return. Of Jesus Christ. Yes my dear brother and sister.

Here in the center of stuffy old worthy. There's someone. Who believes and dares to proclaim from this pulpit.

In the visible literal return of Christ. And thank God in Worthingtown. There are other ministers of the gospel who would say the same.

He's coming back. And there's a song that says. Looking in advance of that appearance.

I wish we'd all been ready. Are you? Let's pray. Father we've looked into your word.

We've exchanged some viewpoints. And the one thing that stands out with stark reality. When we relate scripture to contemporary times.

We're in a mess. But we dare to believe that within the apparent chaos. God is still on the throne.

And so we come to you. And pray that every heart here may be made ready. By the ministry of the spirit.

That everyone might have knelt. Before the cross of the Christ. Confessed sin.

Found forgiveness. And now engaged in working for you. Doing their best to inform others.

Of the grandeur of the gospel. So break into our hearts. If there are those who do not know you.

And confirm in the faith those who do. And keep us looking up. Believing.

The crowning day. Is coming. Amen.

And now let's join in the grace. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the love of God.

And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Be with us all evermore. Amen.

Amen.